Building bathrooms that make a cleaner, greener world

It’s likely that your customers are growing more concerned about their personal impact on the environment, but also want to keep the same levels of comfort in their home. The bathroom is a great place to start when it comes to improving both of these factors simultaneously. So, let’s take a look at some products you can suggest for these spaces that will add value to your projects and put the minds of your more climate-conscious customers at ease.

Toilet tips

Water waste is a big topic at the moment, especially with government. As part of the 25 Year Environment Plan, ministers have proposed to bring in water saving initiatives, such as water efficiency labels (so homeowners can understand the effectiveness of their products) and are encouraging local authorities to tighten water consumption to 110 litres per person, per day. However, the appliances that your customers have in their home may not be up to scratch with this new way of thinking.
For example, a leaky loo can waste up to 5,500 litres of water every year. It’s always worth stressing to customers that, in the long term, they should try to invest in higher quality products that feature greater durability, and less chance of leaks occurring over time.
Many modern toilets now have dual flushing, but it’s not a feature to be overlooked. By installing a toilet with a full and half flush, your customer will ideally only use a full flush when needed. It’s a really simple extra that adds up to lots of savings, both water wise and financially, over time.

Putting the heat on the competition

Bathrooms can be cold places, and so underfloor heating (UFH) is an ideal way to improve your customer’s comfort in these spaces. They have gained popularity in the last few years, and if you can add a string to your bow by providing UFH, you’ll probably increase your workload.
This growth in popularity is largely down to the efficiency of UFH. It uses less energy to heat all areas of a room by operating at a lower temperature than radiators, meaning your customers can save money on their heating bills. If you want to suggest UFH for your customer, we’d recommend the Warmup underfloor heating range. From insulation boards, to StickyMat systems, or intelligent thermostatic controllers and traditional Loose Wire systems, they have a solution for every project and budget.

A few quick tips!

Ventilation is key in bathrooms to keep moisture at bay. Unohab, a single room heat recovery unit by Airflow, is designed to keep a healthy flow of air throughout homes while improving efficiency. When connected with an existing ventilation system, it can greatly improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and save energy.
Alternatively, if you want to keep it simple, generic extractor fans work just as well. However, it’s very important that you choose the right one to suit the size of the room.
Towel rails are popular with customers, but they can use up a lot of energy. As a solution to this, we’d suggest choosing a low temperature towel rail, as they can operate on temperatures as low as 45˚C!
When choosing taps for your customers, you should look for ones which have flow limiters built in as standard, or other added features which result in a more efficient release of water. Certifications of products are also good indicators of efficiency, so look out for the water efficiency label once it’s introduced.
Investing in water-resistant plasterboard in bathrooms means they will last for much longer than those traditional, general materials. The Gyproc moisture resistant plasterboards are a great solution, and can be ordered through your local Jewson branch.

Hopefully, by bringing some of these ideas into your bathroom project, your customers will be impressed that you’re helping them save money and be more eco-friendly, while also creating a more modern and comfortable space. If you’ve got any questions, or to receive expert advice and support, make sure you get in touch with your local Jewson branch or head over to the Jewson hub.